A special bond between QBs

When former Mount Zion gunslinger Jordan Grinestaff joined the East Richland High School coaching staff in the summer of 2009, Justin Bailey was an incoming freshman preparing for his first season of high-school football.

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Olney Daily Mail - Olney, IL

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Posted Dec. 13, 2012 at 10:40 AM
Updated Dec 13, 2012 at 11:01 AM

Posted Dec. 13, 2012 at 10:40 AM
Updated Dec 13, 2012 at 11:01 AM

Olney, Il.

When former Mount Zion gunslinger Jordan Grinestaff joined the East Richland High School coaching staff in the summer of 2009, Justin Bailey was an incoming freshman preparing for his first season of high-school football.

Under Grinestaff's tutelage, Bailey became the most prolific passer in school history as the left-hander set ERHS varsity records for career yards (5,398), touchdowns (51) and completions (343) while helping lead the Tigers to their first postseason appearance in more than a decade.

"Coach Grinestaff taught me nearly everything about being a quarterback and helped me in every aspect of the game," said Bailey, who received 2012 Illinois High School Football Coaches Association All-State honorable-mention honors and was selected to the All-Little Illini Conference Egyptian Division first team after throwing for 2,124 yards and 24 TDs.

"I remember watching Mount Zion play when I was younger and knew he came from a very good program. I watched some of his game film my sophomore year and wanted to be as good as he was. Coach Grinestaff played on really good teams at Mount Zion and threw for a lot of yards, so it's cool being mentioned with him."

Grinestaff was 17-13 as a three-year varsity starter at Mount Zion, tossing 57 touchdowns. The Braves qualified for the Class 4A playoffs twice during that span, going 8-3 in 2006 and 6-4 in 2007 under Tim Nolen, now the head coach at Robinson.

"The Apollo Conference was a gauntlet when Justin played in it (2010 and 2011)," said Grinestaff, a three-time All-Apollo signal-caller. "Week in and week out, you see talented defenses and by his senior year, there was nothing he hadn't seen.

"The strides he made, you've got to give him credit for all the hard work he put in day in and day out. Justin is a student of the game and we have a real special bond."

After going 12-1 on the mound as a senior and being named the 2008 Macon County Baseball Player of the Year by the Herald & Review, Grinestaff earned a baseball scholarship to Olney Central College before an elbow injury ended his pitching career.

During his time at OCC, Grinestaff approached then-Olney football coach Dave Denton, who faced Grinestaff when he was starring at Mount Zion. In Grinestaff's first season with the Tigers, he coached Justin's brother, Brandon, a 2009 All-Apollo first-team quarterback, who threw for 3,280 yards (17 TDs) as a two-year varsity starter.

"I really appreciated the opportunity he gave me to be a part of OTF," Grinestaff said of Denton. "I've learned a lot from him and we've developed a nice friendship."

When Olney head coach Matt Music took over for Denton in 2011, he was already close with Grinestaff, having been an assistant at Mount Zion for 11 years.

Page 2 of 4 - "Coach Denton talked highly of Jordan and I coached that kid, so I knew how special he was," Music said. "Him being younger (Grinestaff is 23) helps and he's very mature for his age. Jordan is a good person for a high-school kid to look up to because he's been through the battles.

"Jordan gave me a lot of insight on this program before I got here and I rely on him a lot. He's not a player anymore. He's one of my best friends."

Grinestaff echoed the sentiment, calling Music a best friend.

"Coach Music is a great coach and a loyal person and that's why I'm still here," Grinestaff said. "He's one of the most hard-working guys I've been around. I would love to work with him forever."

Following a 1-8 campaign in Music's first season, the Tigers turned the program around this fall, capturing the LIC Egyptian Division championship and beating Class 4A powerhouse Breese Mater Dei 29-23 on October 26 in a first-round matchup at ERHS.

"Every year, our goal was to make the playoffs and after last year, it felt incomplete," Bailey said. "During the offseason, I set a goal that we had to make the playoffs.

"Going into the Mater Dei game, coach Grinestaff, coach (Ryan) Denton, coach (Brad) Ameter and coach (Chuck) Snyder said, 'You'll never forget playing in a playoff game.' Our receivers got open, our offensive line did a great job and I just tried to limit my mistakes."

Bailey passed for 1,728 yards as a sophomore and 1,546 as a junior before surpassing the 2,000-yard mark this season for the Tigers, who went 9-2 under Music, the 2012 Herald & Review Area Coach of the Year.

"Justin made tremendous strides under coach (Dave) Denton," Music said. "When I got here, Justin's decision-making was good but his release was slow. He worked extremely hard to turn himself into an All-State QB."

Bailey threw for more than 200 yards 14 times at the varsity level and had a 51 percent completion rate (343-of-673). He fired four touchdown strikes in his varsity debut on August 27, 2010, (Olney won 50-6 over visiting Dupo) and matched that total September 29 in Olney's 35-33 come-from-behind victory over the Lawrenceville Indians.

"Justin had great players around him and a great coaching staff and his mental side of the game really improved," Grinestaff said. "In today's world, a lot of successful quarterbacks are 6-4 or 6-5 but Justin's work ethic made up for not being 6-5. He played with a chip on his shoulder at 6-foot, 160.

"Coach Nolen taught me a lot about preparation and to expect the unexpected. I always tried to make sure Justin was prepared and could make adjustments on the fly."

Page 3 of 4 - Bailey appreciated the time and effort Grinestaff put in over the years to help him become one of the area's top signal-callers.

"Coach Grinestaff is one of the smartest football guys I know," Bailey said.

"He drove down from Charleston every day to help out our team. He had me ready to go every week and a lot of my stats are a reflection of coach Grinestaff."

Grinestaff, now a student at Eastern Illinois University, rooms with his high-school teammate Jake Jones.

"There's nothing like high-school football, going to battle with your best friends," Grinestaff said. "You trust them and they would do anything for you. For Justin and this group of seniors, they deserved this year. They took their lumps but it paid off."

The Tigers rallied from 27 down to upend Lawrenceville, pulled out two overtime wins as they beat Robinson 21-20 and Cumberland 13-12, defeated the rival Newton Eagles (21-13) for the second-straight year and demolished Flora 44-12 in the Shrine Game (Bailey was Olney's MVP).

"Coach Music got everyone to believe, don't settle for being good, be great," Bailey said. "It was a fun year from the first day, waking up early in the summer, to walking off the field at Alton."

In addition to his accomplishments on the gridiron, Bailey was one of five Tigers to earn a spot on the All-State Academic Team, joining senior running backs Jordan Hahn and Dirk Washburn, senior linebacker Mitchell Harmon and junior wide receiver Nolan Shan.

"Justin is a kid who strives for greatness on and off the field," Music said. "Thirty years down the road, he'll be one of those guys I'll still be talking about and I hope I can have a close relationship with Justin like Jordan and I have.

"Justin is a role model for our younger kids. I want future Tigers and current Tigers to be like Justin Bailey on the field and in the classroom."

Grinestaff plans to return to Music's staff next season.

"The potential is so high for Jordan," Music said. "He's been around a great coach in Tim Nolen and he was raised in a great family, a competitive family.

"Jordan understands as a young coach, to shut your mouth and listen. Talk to other coaches and don't be dead-set on the stuff you know already. The best advice I would give Jordan when he becomes a head coach down the road is be who you are, do what you do and don't change for anybody. Stick to your morals and ethics."

Shan, sophomore Klayton Craig and freshman Derek Deimel will compete for the spot vacated by Bailey when the Tigers begin their summer workouts, according to Music.

"It's gonna be weird not seeing number 12 manning the huddle anymore," Music said. "We're gonna have to retool the passing game to fit whatever QB we put out there and give them the best chance to be successful.

Page 4 of 4 - "Nolan, Klayton and Derek are all very good athletes who have strengths and weaknesses. Our job as coaches is to find the best piece."

(Music honored)

Music garnered Herald & Review Area Coach of the Year accolades after guiding the Tigers to nine victories, which tied a school record. Olney notched the program's fourth playoff win under Music, a 1995 graduate of Edwards County High School.

"To be listed with past coaches who've received this award, it's just a great honor," Music said.

"If you don't have a program, you don't win awards like this. Programs aren't about one person. It was proven in 2012 that the players, coaches, administration and the community worked as one and that's why we were successful."